Pocketknife



Get. 10, 1944. M} SCHRADE 2,360,165

POCKET KNIFE Filed June 14, 1944 INVENTOR George M. Sch

rade

Patented Oct. 10, 1944 NZITED PAT E NT OsF F ICE POCKETKNIFE George Schrade, Bridgeport, Conn.

Application June .14, 1944, Serial N0..544l,236

6 Claims.

7 This invention relates to new iand useful .im- .;provements tin pocketknivessoflth type known as thy-open knives and having one or more-blades normally retained in closed position but which are adapted to be opened by a spring when manually released.

.An object of the invention :is to {provide certain safety features in a knife of :the character -zoutlined whereby the knife blade will not be :casually releasedbecaus of looseness of the parts or because of carelessness in closing :the blade, "etc.

Other objects and advantages of 'theinvention .becomecapparent Tromra consideration of the .zf'ollowing'detailed description taken in connection withwthe :accompanying drawing wherein .a satisffaotory embodiment of the invention is shown. c-I-Iowever, it is to be understood that the invention FlSillOi] limited to'the details :disclosed but includes allsuch variations and modifications as fall Within the spirit of the invention and thesoope of "the appended claims.

.lin'the drawing:

Fig. l is a side elevational view of a knife made -in accordance with the invention, the :blade thereof being in closed position;

Fig.1;2is asim'ilar view but with the near side :of the handle or covering removed;

Fig. Bis a similar view but With the near "side of the handle or covering and the new side of the lining removed;

Fig. 4 is a View similar to Fig. :3 but with the blade of the knife in open position;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional .view taken as along the plane of the lin 5-5 of Fig. 3-; and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional View taken as along the plane of the line 6- 6 olf Fig. 3 but showing the relation of the parts as the blade is moving toward closed position.

Referring in detail to the drawing the knife of the invention'is shown as including a transversely U-shaped metal lining member generally designated l0 and comprising a single piecevo'f spring metal bent into the shapeshown whereby to include a back wall H and parallel side walls l2 and .13 extending substantially at right angles to such back wall. On the outer sid-es of the walls 112 and 13 ar handle or covering members It and 1 5, respectively. These members are secured in placeby a pair of spaced rivets l6 and :l-l passing entirely through the knife and the rivet 1? also functions as a pivot for a blade !8.

A third rivet it passes throughthe sidewalls of "the lining member 19 and serves to anchor a spring 26 in th inner portion thereof. This spring functions to cause the blade 18 to fly or snap to an open position when the blade is released-from a slidable latch member generally designated 2!. Additionally the spring 20 functions as a stop means positively limiting the lopening movement-of the blade. When the blade is .-in -.closed position the spring is acting against thecamrned surface at the pivoted end of the blade and when the latter is released, .as will be set forth, the spring functions to throw the blade to full open position. In suchlast position the shoulder'ZZ at the pivoted end of the blad engages the rear end of the spring 2 0 as :shown in Fig.'-4 and further opening movement of :the blade is positively prevented.

The slidable latch [21 is mounted in the for-- ward -or butt end portion olf the knife between the side walls of the lining Hi. This latch includes abar-like portion 23 toward one end rest- .ing onthe upper edgeof an inturned lug .24 formed with the rear wall ll of the lining and "at :its inner end having a depending lug 25 0f the height of lug Maud resting on or bearing "against the inner surface or wall ll. A small coil spring 12% is :disposed in the pocket formed :by'the lugs 24 and'25, the bar 23,the back :wall

l l l and the side walls l2 and t3 and bearing at its respective ends against said lugs serves to normally retain the latch 2! in the latching :posi- "tion in which it is :shown in the several views ofvthe drawing.

Rivet [.6 serves to keep the latch in position 'as this rivet is substantially against the upper or outer side:of-thebar 23 and inward movementof the latch "under the influence of the spring 25 is limited by engagement, of the inner side of the lug 2'5 with the adjacent end oil the blade open- :ing spring 20 as shown. Spaced outwardlyfrom thebar 23 the slidable latch includes a nose :or portion 21 having a groove or recess 28 in its under side and opening through its forward :end. The opposite outer side portions of thenose 2! are bevelled so that when engaged by the point of jacblade, :as when closing the latter, the blade will spring sidewise, slightly, to pass the said .nose and will then pass under the latter and the :outerwedge portion of the point of the blade ;will 't-henenter into the groove or recess 28es shown inF-igs. 2 -and3.

Above the rivet IS the side Walls 12 and t3 are spi it inwardly from the butt end of the knife as at .29 thus providing a pair of spring fingers '30 and 3! located'one at each .side of the nose '2?! of the slidable latch. As the rivet i6 is lower than or inwardly of the slots 29 the rivetdoes not interfere with. any spring'action of .the fingers 30 and 3|. These fingers are free to hug the sides of said nose 2? regardless of the tightness 01' looseness-oi the rivet IE5.

. When the knife blade is is in closed position .its tip "portion or the outer edge of its tip 'porztion is received in the groove or recess 28 and isfheld in such recess by the constant tendency of the spring 20 to move the blade to open position. Further the spring fingers 30 and 3| are of the catch or latch 2|.

or draw the latch in a direction outwardly of".

For convenience.

the butt portion of the knife. in so moving the latch a small ball 32 is shown attached to the said slide and located beyond the butt end of the knife. When th slidable latch is moved as suggested its nose 2! is drawn beyond the point of the knife blade and the spring 20 acting against the cammed end portion thereof projects it to open position. Now when it is desired to close the blade it is swung toward closed position and its pointed portion engaging one or the other of the bevelled surfaces of the nose the blade is slightly sprung to one side or the other (see Fig. 6).

The blade then engages laterally against one of the spring fingers 30 and 3i and the latter yields outwardly whereby to permit the blade point portion to pass between such finger and the nose 2'1. As the blade passes under nose 2! it is snapped into the groove or recess 28 and thus held in closed position. When the blade has passed as indicated the finger 30 or 3| (whichever has been pressed laterally) moves back into position against the adjacent side of the nose. Since the fingers 30 and 3| are free to flex independent of the remaining wall portions of the lining In it will be clear that the rivet It may be tight and yet not make for such resistance to the closing of the blade as to make such operation difiicult.

Without such fingers if the rivet is drawn up tight it is difficult to cause the entire side of the linin to flex and permit of movement of the end portion of the knife blade past the nose The handle or covering members I4 and i5 are of a plastic or the like and yield as suggested in Fig. 6 when one or the other of the fingers 30 and 3| is caused to move outwardly as the blade 18 is being closed. As

the side walls l2 and I3 of the lining are against the body portion of the latch and the fingers 30 and 3| are against the nose portion 21 thereof, it will be clear that the latch is supported against lateral movement.

Having thus set forth the nature of my invention, what I claim is:

l. A knife of the class described including lining walls and a spring actuated blade hingedly mounted between said walls and adapted to be closed between them, a longitudinally movable latch adapted to have the free end portion of the blade move by and under the same to lock the blade, means for supporting thelatcha'gainst lateral movement, means to operate the latch to I release the blade, and said latch having a groove free end portion of the blade move by and under the same to lock the blade, means to operate the latch to release the blade, a spring finger onone of said lining walls, and said spring finger normally engaging a side of said latch but adapted to flex outwardly to permit the free end portion of the blade to pass by said latch.

3. A knife of the class described including lining walls and a spring actuated blade hingedly mounted between said walls and adapted to be closed between them, a longitudinally movable latch between said walls at the butt end of the knife and adapted to have the free end portion of the blade move by andunder the same to lock the blade, means to operate the latch to release the blade, one of said lining wall slotted inwardly from its butt end to provide it with a spring finger, and said spring finger normally engaging a side of said latch but adapted to flex outwardly to permit the free end portion of the blade to pass by said latch.

4. A knife of the class described including lining walls and a spring actuated blade hingedly mounted between said walls and adapted to be closed between them, a longitudinally movable latch between said walls at the butt end of the knife and adapted to have the free end portion of the blade move by and under the same to lock the blade, means to operate the latch to release the blade, a spring finger on one of said lining walls, said spring finger normally enaging a side of said latch but adapted to fiex outwardly to permit the free end portion of the blade to pass by said latch, and said latch having a groove opening through its under side and forward end and receiving the outer edge of the free end of the blade when the same is locked to prevent casual relative lateral movement of the latch and blade.

5. A knife of the class described including lining walls and a spring actuated blade hingely mounted between said walls and adapted to be closed in between them, a longitudinally movable latch between said walls at the butt end of the knife and adapted to have the free end portion of the blade move by and under the same to lock the blade, means to operate the latch to release the blade, one of said lining walls slotted inwardly from its butt end to provide it with a spring finger, said spring finger normally engaging a side of said latch but adapted to flex outwardly to permit the free end portion of the blade to pass by said latch, and said latch having a groove opening through its under side and forward end and receiving the outer edge of the free end of the blade when the same is locked to prevent casual relative lateral movement of the latch and blade.

6. A knife of the class described including 1111. 7

ing walls and a spring actuated blade hingedly mounted between said walls and adapted to be closed in between them, a longitudinally mov- GEORGE M. SCHRADE. 

